Ford and Other Automakers Are Trying to Remake Their Bed

Washington, DC -- Today, Ford and other auto executives are set to meet with Donald Trump, Scott Pruitt, and Elaine Chao to discuss the administration’s plans to rollback the clean car standards. The Auto industry has been working feverishly to claim that they intend to lobby Trump to protect parts of the standards after having spent the past year pushing to roll them back, despite overwhelming objections from the majority of Americans, scientists, and environmental experts.

Ford has pushed heavily to change the clean car standards while seeking to create a green image of itself. The hypocritical efforts continued yesterday when the company rejected shareholders’ efforts to "publish a report, at reasonable cost, describing whether and how our company's fleet GHG emissions through 2025 will increase given its planned change in fleet mix and industry's proposed weakening of CAFE [corporate average fuel economy] standards or, conversely, how it plans to retain emissions consistent with, or better than, CAFE standards to ensure its products are sustainable in a rapidly decarbonizing vehicle market."

In response, Sierra Club Deputy Director for Clean Transportation Andrew Linhardt released the following statement:

“Ford and other automakers have made their bed, but now, after witnessing the massive backlash from the American people and already seeing legal action taken to protect the standards, are trying to remake it. The American people and experts have spoken loud and clear: there cannot be any going back from the existing clean car standards. No one wants to pay more at the pump while pollution increases in their communities. Rather than trying to insulate themselves, Ford and other automakers should join with environmental groups, scientists, and the American people in demanding the clean car standards remain strong.”